Student Education Repository (மாணவர்கள் கல்விக் களஞ்சியம்): Today (December 2, 1594) is the anniversary of Gerardus Mercator Inventor of the world map.

Wednesday, December 2, 2020

Today (December 2, 1594) is the anniversary of Gerardus Mercator Inventor of the world map.

Today (December 2, 1594) is the anniversary of Gerardus Mercator Inventor of the world map.

Gerardus Mercator was born on March 5, 1512, in the Netherlands. He was one of the founders of the College of Geography of the Netherlands. It was the most notable educational institution of the time (approximately 1570–1670). During his lifetime he became one of the most famous geographers in the world. Apart from geography, he was also interested in the fields of religion, philosophy, history, mathematics and the Earth's magnetic field. He excelled in carving, making wild globe globes and making scientific tools. Unlike other scientists of his time, Mercator did not travel much. He developed his knowledge of geography by reading texts.

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He had a collection of 1000 books and maps in his own library. He collected these by himself and by correspondence in six languages with other scientists, travellers, merchants, and sailors. Mercator's early maps hung on the wall in large shapes. But in the latter part of his life, he published more than a hundred regional maps in small formats. These could be easily compiled into thread form. In 1595 he published the first such collection of maps. It was first named Atlas. He coined the term to refer not only to a set of maps but also to the creation and history of the world. The name was coined in memory of King Atlas of Mauritania, the first great geographer. This king was the son of Titan Atlas. However, the two myths soon merged.

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He earned most of his income by selling his maps and globes to Mercator. For more than sixty years they were considered the best in the world. Some of what was sold then are still available. Creating spheres, printing maps on them, designing containers, packing and shipping all over Europe required better business acumen. Apart from that Mercator was also known for his scientific tools; Especially astrology. Developed the tools needed to study astronomical geometry. Born into a Catholic family, Mercator was a devout Christian. Martin Luther was a supporter of the spread of the Reformed Church even though he did not present himself as a member of the Reformed Church. He went to jail for six months for this. It was this religious affiliation that led him to emigrate from Catholic Illinois.

He settled in Duisburg, where he was religiously tolerant. He spent the last 30 years of his life here. He is best known for creating the world map in 1569. Mercator created this map using his hypothesis of fall. The fall of Mercator is a straight line that points in the same direction as the sea. This hypothesis is still followed in marine navigation films today. World map maker Girodzu Mercator died in Germany on December 2, 1594, at the age of 82.

Source By: Wikipedia.

Information: Ramesh, Assistant Professor of Physics, Nehru Memorial College, Puthanampatti, Trichy.